Fire fighting nozzle



Feb. 20, 1951 T. B. EDWARDS E-AL FIRE FIGHTING NOZZLE Filed Aug. 18, 1949 rRi 00000000 @www www NNW QW. NW

km Nw NWS@ mue/vrees /eadorz'c Edwards Arf/zuri. onczhew 5 j M44 B l/ 77 5w-L ANDRA/frs Patented Feb. 20, 1951 -FIRE FIGHTING lNOZZLE Theodoric 1B. Edwards, Hybla Valley Farms, and Arthur L. Donahew, Alexandria, Va.

Application Augustl, 1949, Seria No. 111,066

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 6 Claims.

The invention describedherein maybe manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, withoutpayment yto us of any royalty thereon.

For the combating of res produced from the combustion of inflammable chemicals, oils, and other materials not affected by water, the use of foam-producing compositions for producing an air-excluding blanket around such res is well known. Various compositions of such nre foam-producing materials are available for reextinguishing purposes, the compositions producing a liquid foam that envelops a mass of burning material and, by 'blanketing the "fire from access of air, quickly smothers and extinguishes the same.

The use of such foams is of particular advantage where res occur in locales where a vigorous application of extinguishing liquids may cause a scattering or spreading of the combustible material, which is true in cases where the combustible material is liquid and of `less specific gravity than water and immiscible therewith, or where the combustible material is collected in large volume or in pools thereof. Also it is desirable to use a foam or spray Where the -fireghting personnel is in close quarters to the blaze, or where the blaze is intensely hot in character, and it is desirable to protect the personnel with a screen or blanket of -theliquid material. as a cooling spray, interposed between-thepersonnel and the blaze being extinguished. "In other instances, however, it may be necessaryor desirable to combat a nre with extinguishingliquid directed thereon in solid streams.

Consequently, it is frequently desirable to have available re-ghting equipment which will produce either a spray or a solid stream Lof .extinguishing liquid, selectively.

This invention has for one of its objects the provision of a piece of equipment which preferably and conveniently may be an auxiliary attachment connectable to a standard or-commercial nozzle for delivering a selected type Aof discharge of extinguishing liquid from the nozzle, which discharge may be either mechanical 'foam a solid straight stream of the said liquid, selectively, the construction of the invention being adapted for use in conjunction With any of the usual foam-stabilizing agents.

Further objects of the invention Will become apparent as the description proceeds and the features of novelty will be pointed out in ,particularity in the appended claims.

'l'he invention will be understood more clearly from reference'to lthe accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a sectional elevation of the construction of 'the .present invention the view showing the embodiment of the invention attached to a commercial nozzle, which .is shown partially in section; and

Fig. V21s a sectional perspective view of the device cffFig. .1.

Referring more particularlyto the drawings, the attachment of the .presentinvention is yrepresented by the illustrative embodiment A which is threadedlyv mounted on a nozzle B of standard commercial construction, which is secured to va hose line at C.

The attachment .A .forms an auxiliary nozzle and includes ahousing 3, which includes an intake section D, a conical baiile section E and a perforated conical discharge section F.

.The intake section D has its intake yend closed by a closure 5 provided with a collar l, the yclosure 5 and collar l' being internally threaded at 8 to engage with the threads 9 on the nozzle B. The collar 'I receives a locking screw Ill and the tubu- 25 lar cylindrical.n housing I I is secured to the closure 5 by screws I3. Also xedly secured to the housin g .H of the. intake section vD by rivets or equivalent 'fastening means VI 4 are spaced websl which are attached '.to the outer periphery of the housing Il by thesaidrivets, as shown, and to the housing 3 ofthe attachment'by suitable screws I '1, the webs I5 having oppositely disposed iianges I9,.2| for receiving the fastening instrumentalitie'sId andI'I.

"The intake section lD opens into the frustoconic'al balle va'nd'mixing section E, which converges in the direction ofthe flow of liquid. The mixing section E Vincludes 'a 'truste-conical baliie andmixinghousing 23'fhaving a cylindrical portion 25 adjacent toits larger fend for attachment by rivets or otherequivalent fastening means 2l' to 'the'outjer hous'ing"'3. The frusto-conicalbaiiie and "mixing {secti'on E "discharges the material onto adischargese'ction Fwhich includes a housing^`29 which has its smaller end entering'the dischargeen-d ofthe-baite `housing 2-3. Thefrustoconical discharge housing KZS'expandS in the direction of 'flow of liquid and is Yprovided with a multitude'of holesf`3 I. 'The-'largeendof the housing "2`9iopens adjacent vto the discharge end ofthe housingS.

A"The housing "29 is mounted'in the housing'-'i by means of'spacedwebs .33 having anges'35, 3'! for`re`c`eivi'ng fasteninginstrumentalities 39, 4I, as shown. The discharge'end 43. of the housing 3 3 is somewhat smaller than the remainder of the housing 3, the tapering portion 45 of the housing gaserving as the attaching portion for the webs It Will be apparent from the drawings that the housing A is open at both ends, and the intake section D receives the liquid from the nozzle. The nozzle B is provided with means 45 for discharging liquid from the nozzle either as a solid stream or as a cone depending upon the adjustment of the means [it through actuation of the knurled adjusting ring lll. The intake section D, the baile section E and the discharge section F are symmetrically disposed in the housing 3 and are in axial alignment so that a solid stream of liquid projected by the nozzle B passes uninterruptedly through the attachment A, as is indicated by the dotted lines on the drawing.

When the adjustment of the nozzle B is to pro- I ject a conical discharge, as shown by dash-anddot lines on Fig. l, such conical discharge impinges against the conical periphery of the frusto-conical housing 23 and is reflected by the angularity of the slope thereof through the throat 5I and thence against the outside of the expanding discharge housing 29 of the discharge section F. The deilection of the material from the inner side of the housing 23 nely subdivides the conical discharge flow from the nozzle, and passage through the holes 3l further subdivides the particles of liquid, and a voluminous mechanical foam is produced, the passage of the liquid through and around the discharge housing 29 drawing air through the open intake end 53 of the housing 3 and causes such air to commingle with the liquid passing through the baille housing 23 and around and into the perforated discharge housing 29, so that a copious volume of foam is projected from the auxiliary nozzle A.

It will be apparent that the specically illustarted foam of the invention herein shown and described is intended to be an illustrative form of the present construction, structural details of which may be modified without departing from the invention; and accordingly, it will be understood and desired to embrace within the scope or" this invention such modifications and changes as may be necessary to adapt it to varying conditions and uses as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and wish to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Fire-righting apparatus comprising an auxiliary nozzle adapted to be mounted on amain nozzle adapted to deliver selected types of discharge streams of fire-extinguishing liquid from a solid stream to a` conical stream, the said auxiliary nozzle comprising an outer housing open at both ends, one of the ends being an intake end and the opposite end a discharge end, a plurality of symmetrically disposed sections in the housing in communication one with another, there being an intake section, abaiile and mixing section and a discharge section, each of the sections opening into an adjacent section, the intake section being a substantially cylindrical housing denning an annular air space intermediate itself and the outer housing, the mixing section being a rst frusto-conical housing converging towards the discharge end of the outer housing and having its larger end secured directly to the outer housing, the discharge section being a second frusto-conical housing diverging towards the discharge end of the outer housing, and having its smaller end extending into the smaller end of the first frusto-conioal housing, the intake housing and rst and second frusto-conical housings being in relative alignment with one another and with the main nozzle for permitting the main nozzle to project a Solid stream of liquid uninterruptedly through the housings and out of the discharge opening of the outer housing, while a conical stream of liquid projected from the nozzle impinges against the iirst frusto-conical housing and is subdivided thereby and mixed with air entering the intake end of the outer housing, the resulting mixture being directed by the converging housing into and around the diverging frustoconical discharge housing and thence as a mechanical foam from the outer housing.

2. Fire-fighting apparatus comprising an auxiliary nozzle adapted to be lmounted on a main nozzle adapted to deliver selected types of discharge streams of fire-extinguishing liquid from a solid stream to a conical Stream, the said auxiliary nozzle comprising an outer housing open at both ends, one of the ends being an intake end and the opposite end a discharge end, a plurality of symmetrically disposed sections in the housing in successive communication one with another, there being an intake section, a baiiie and mixing section and a discharge section, the intake section including a substantially cylindrical housing defining an annular air space with the outer housing, means securing the cylindrical housing concentrically in the outer housing, a frustoconical mixing housing converging towards the discharge end of the outer housing and having its larger end concentrically disposed around the cylindrical intake housing, means directly securing the larger end of the mixing housing directly to the outer housing, a diverging frusto-conical discharge housing, and having its larger end disposed concentrically relative to the outer housing adjacent to the discharge end thereof, means for mounting the said frusto-conical discharge housing in the outer housing in alignment with the mixing housing and with the cylindrical intake housing, whereby a solid stream oi" liquid projected from the main nozzle can pass uninterruptedly through the series or housings and out through the discharge end oi the outer housing, the frusto-conical discharge housing being provided with a multitude oi holes therethrough, conical streams of liquid projected from the main nozzle impinging against the frusto-conical mixing housing and thereby becoming mixed with air drawn through the open intake end of the outer housing, and becoming converted into mechanical foam in and around the irusto-conical discharge housing.

3. An auxiliary nozzle adapted to be mounted on a principal nozzle of a lire-fighting hose, the main nozzle being adapted to deliver a solid stream of fire-lighting liquid and a conical stream thereof selectively, the auxiliary nozzle comprising a housing and a plurality of mixing sections in the housing, the said sections being disposed in axial alignment and having axially disposed openings therethrough adapted to pass uninterruptedly a solid stream of liquid delivered by the principal nozzle, the sections having angularly disposed sides adapted to be impinged by the conical Y stream from the said nozzle for converting the comprising a housing open at opposite ends, one of the said ends being the intake end, the opposite end being the discharge end, a series of concentric baiile members mounted in the housing, and having aligned openings therethrough for delivering uninterruptedly a solid stream of liquid from the main nozzle, the said baille members having axially concentric Walls sloping in opposite directions adapted to be impinged by a diverging stream of liquid delivered by the principal nozzle, for dividing the said diverging stream into a mechanical foam in the presence of air aspirated into the baie sections through the intake end of the housing.

5. An auxiliary nozzle adapted to be mounted on a principal nozzle of a nre-fighting hose, the main nozzle being adapted to deliver a solid stream of re-ghting liquid and a diverging stream thereof selectively, the auxiliary nozzle comprising a housing open at opposite ends, one of the said ends being the intake end and the opposite end being the discharge end, a series of communicating concentric baie members mounted on the housing and having aligned openings therethrough for delivering uninterruptedly a solid stream oi liquid from the main nozzle, one of the baffle members having an inwardly converging conical bailie wall interposed in a diverging stream of liquid projected by the nozzle and converging towards the discharge end of the housing, a second baille member adjacent to the aforesaid baffle member and internally concentric therewith, the second baille member having a conical baffle wall diverging or expanding towards the discharge end of the housing and being provided with a multiplicity of openings in the said expanding wall thereof, the baille members converting the diverging stream into a mechanical foam in presence of air aspirated into the stream through the intake end of the housing.

6. An auxiliary nozzle adapted to be mounted on a principal nozzle of a fire-ghting hose, the main nozzle being adapted to deliver a solid stream of iire-ghting liquid and an ,expanding stream thereof selectively, the auxiliary nozzle comprising a housing open at opposite ends, one of the said ends being the intake end and the opposite end the discharge end, and a mechanical foam-producing chamber in the housing, the chamber having a section converging towards the discharge end of the housing and a section diverging towards the discharge end of the housing, the said chamber presenting a continuous fluid passage aligned Iwith the main nozzle for a1- lowing a solid stream from the nozzle to pass uninterruptedly through the housing from the intake end to the discharge end, the converging section having walls positioned in the path 0f the expanding discharge from the principal nozzleV THEODORIC B. EDWARDS. ARTHUR L. DONAHEW.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,388,508 Timpson Nov. 6, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 441,441 Great Britain Jan. 20, 1931 444,259

Great Britain Mar. 18, 1936 

